With The Rise Of Donald Trump Comes The Ascent Of Female First-Time Candidates In Texas

Motivated by the rise of Donald Trump, a plethora of first-time candidates have added their names to ballots in Texas--and many of them are women.

As The Guardian reports, these candidates are hoping to ride to victory on what many political observers are predicting will be a blue wave of Democratic voters this November in the Lone Star State.

However, many of these candidates say they can’t simply rely on anti-Trump sentiment to win, and some are carving out their own unique place in the Texas political landscape.

One such contender, Ellis County’s Jana Lynne Sanchez, carries a handgun and wears Texas flag boots. In her campaign ad, she proudly declares, “I’m an entrepreneur, a Christian, a gun owner and a Democrat.” Sanchez is facing off against Republican incumbent Joe Barton, who has held the Texas sixth district for 34 years. But Sanchez believes it’s time for some new blood in Austin, and in the Texas delegation to Washington, which currently only contains three women.

Houston’s Laura Moser agrees, telling The Guardian she doesn’t want her daughter “to grow up in a world where people like Donald Trump are allowed to call the shots.”

The Amarillo City Council’s no clapping policy is designed to maintain order at council meetings, but some say the rule is unconstitutional. Instead of clapping, people are instructed to raise their hands to signal agreement or keep their hands down to signal disagreement.

The just-released Quinnipiac University survey of some 1,029 registered Texas voters says incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz can count on 47 percent of the vote, while Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke has 44 percent. That 3-point lead for Cruz makes this race too close to call, with an election looming in November.